JULIE Reid, 17, from Garston, was disappointed to receive a D-grade in her AS-level English Literature exam last August.

JULIE Reid, 17, from Garston, was disappointed to receive a D-grade in her AS-level English Literature exam last August.

But after it was re-marked it rose to a C and now she is waiting for one of her A2 English Literature exams from January to be re-marked too.

Julie, a sixth form pupil at St Hilda's CE high school in Sefton Park, said: "I was disappointed by the first D but I accepted it because I didn't doubt the examiners - I was made up to find it was wrong and that I'd actually got a C."

At the time Julie said she thought there was something seriously wrong with the A-level system and would never trust the exams boards again - her feelings have not changed.

She said: "I'm still lacking confidence in them and a lot of our marks in January were lower than we expected so a lot of papers have been requested back for checking.

"Exams are stressful enough without putting this pressure on and we are always working towards an exam so if you can't trust the result, it's hard."

Julie has been offered places at Oxford Brookes and Canterbury Universities to study occupational therapy but they are dependent upon her results.

She said: "It's really worrying because if they don't mark them correctly, I could lose my place and I can't afford to do resits.

"The exam boards have over-stretched themselves and whatever changes they say they making, I'm concerned it won't be enough."